The Alaska Legislature created the Alaska Performance Scholarship in 2011, a merit-based scholarship for younger Alaskans to pursue higher education. However, usage has slumped since hitting a peak in 2017.
Legislators are hoping that will change under a bill approved in the final hours of the legislative session last week. Backed by Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, changes to House Bill 148 seek to update the program, expand access and make it easier to use. House Bill 148 is sponsored by the House Education Committee and was largely shepherded through the process by Kenai Republican Rep. Justin Ruffridge.
“I had a longer speech prepared, but I think the students have waited long enough,” said Sen. Dunbar during the floor debate on Wednesday night. “We know we have problems with outmigration in the state. We know our universities are our drivers of economic growth and help keep students here. Let’s do what’s right.”
Officials with the program say the decline has been driven in part by the 2011 law’s limitations, such as the award amount not keeping up with inflation, late notifications in the college application process, and the lack of access to qualifying tests for students in rural communities.
The changes contained in House Bill 148 do the following:
- Removes the standardized testing requirement, allowing students to qualify with either a certain minimum GPA or by hitting the minimum test score requirement
- Increases the award amount for the Alaska Performance Scholarship
- Extends the window for students to use the scholarship from six to eight years
- Requires students to be notified of eligibility by mid-junior year
- Creates a step-up track that allows students to increase their award level
For more information on the Alaska Performance Scholarship and its application process, visit its website here.
The change comes as the University of Alaska Board of Regents is also set to consider updates to the UA Scholars Program this week. Under those changes, the scholarship award level would be increased from $12,000 to $15,000, and the window would be extended from five to six years following graduation.
If the change is approved by the Board of Regents and House Bill 148 is signed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, it would represent a combined increase of more than $5,200 in scholarships for University of Alaska students.
Following the passage of the bill, Sen. Dunbar took to Twitter to post a note handed to him by one of the legislative pages thanking him for his work on the bill.
“Thank you, Senator Dunbar, for carrying and pushing APS. That scholarship was my lifeline to affordable college for me and my younger siblings and the reason why I am here today. Thank you.”
In his Tweet, Dunbar framed the note and wrote, “Whether you’re a staffer or an elected official, and I’ve been both, this is why we do the work that we do.”
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter.